Apparatus for stapling sheets into pads



United States Patent Wally Charles Roll [72] Inventors 15 Anewen Drive, Toronto, and

Charles Nicholas Hoff, 37 Marowyne Drive,

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AuomeyGeo. A. Rolston [54] APPARATUS FOR STAPLING SHEETS lNTO PADS 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A stapling apparatus having a jogger means at the bottom wall of a holder at a loading station to jog a set of 227/7, 227/1 227/100 juxtaposed sheets in substantial alignment and a pin extending 132717/06 I from a belt which runs in the holder engages the side edges of 227/1 2, 3, the set of sheets and delivers the sheets to a stapling station in substantial alignment.

[5i] [50] Field 4, 5, 6, 7, 99, lOO

Patented Nov. 3, 1910 3 3,531,333

Shut or 8 INVENTORS CHARLES N. HOFF BY; Gm eA. QAfm PATENT} AGENT WA LLY c. HOFF Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Shoot or S INVE NTQRS WALLY C. HOFF CHARLES N. HOFF BYzG-(Jlj r4- Pflfin PATENT AGENT Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,633

Shut i, of 3 INVENTORS WALLY C. HOFF CHARLES N. HOFF swGm e meal/2m PATENT AGENT i apparatus;

APPARATUS FOR STAPLING SHEETS INTO PADS This invention relates to a stapling apparatus for stapling bundles of paper sheets into pads.

One example of a staplingapparatus presently in use, has a continuously driven belt conveyor means positioned along a bottom wall of a holder wherein a set of juxtaposed sheets are placed and jogged into proper edge alignment and also into proper contact with the belt conveyor means so that the properly positioned set of sheets may then be transferred by the belt conveyor means to a stapling station. The sheets ride edgewise on the moving belt conveyor means which is run continuously and the leading edges of the sheets are forced against a stop pin in a stapling station while the stapling operation is being performed. The jogging of the sheets for proper contact with the moving belt conveyor means is achieved by the vibration of the moving belt conveyor means itself which is relatively inefficient. Also the movable belt conveyor means and the lower edges of the side walls of the holder are not aligned properly and the sheets become caught in the space separation between them. Various electrical components such as, clock driven timer switches or time delay relays are used in the electrical circuit to operate the various components in sequence. These electrical components are expensive and are quite often difficult to repair when they break down.

Most of these objections are overcome by the provision of a new and improved stapling apparatus which provides a jogger means in association with theholder for aligning the bottom edges ofthe sheets inserted into the holder before a side edge engaging means makes contact with the side edges of the sheets and delivers the sheets to a stapling station.

it is an object of this invention to provide a quick, easy, and highly convenient procedure whereby a set of juxtaposed sheets may be placed in proper edge alignment, stapled together at one or more places in the form ofa pad, if desired,

' and stacked with otherpads for subsequent disposition.

micro switches so that the stapling with or without the stacking steps are automatically carried out after a set of individual shccts are manually or automatically loaded into the apparatus.

It is a still further object of this inventionto provide ajogger means at a loading station of the stapling apparatus for jogging the sheets into proper bottom edgealignment and into proper contact with the jogger means so that the properly positioned set of sheets may be transferred by a side edge engaging means from the loading station to a stapling station.

The foregoing and other advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is here given by way of example only with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference devices refer to like parts thereof through the various views and diagrams andin which: I

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stapling apparatus which may be used with or withoutthe stacking apparatus, partly in section, in accordance with theinvention;

F IG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the electrical components used with the stapling and stacking FIG. 3 is a plan view of the stapling and stacking apparatus in accordance with theinvention; and,

P10. 4 is an electrical circuit diagramof the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail which illustrate a stapling apparatus designated generally by the reference number and a stacking apparatus by the number 11. The stapling'apparatus l0 embodies in its construction a horizontally elongated trough-shaped holder 12 having first and second closely spaced guide walls 14 and 15 respectively. The holder 12 is relatively deep and thin and open at the top and therearound to receive a set of juxtaposed sheets 13 into the apparatus either manually or automatically from some other associated machine. One end portion of the holder 12 constitutes a loading station, indicated at 16, where the sheets are received while its other end portion constitutes a stapling station, indicated as 17. where the sheets may be stapled. The upper edge portions 18 and 19 of the first and second guide walls l4 and 15 respectively, are preferably curved outwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 1, to facilitate insertion of the sheets 13 into the loading station 16. A jogger means 20 is provided adjacent the bottom portion of the first and second guide walls 14 and 15 having a horizontal plate 21 that supports the bottom edges of the sheets 13 loaded in at the loading station 16. The horizontal plate 21 has a vertical plate 22 connected at one end thereof on which is mounted an electric motor 23 by means of a bracket 24 bolted to the plate 22. A plate 25 is positioned beneath plate 21 and parallel to plate 22. Four pillars 26l'ormed of soft rubber material and preferably shaped like dumhbelht. are connected between the plates 22 and 25. Each pillar 26 has one end attached to the plate 22 by means ofa bolt 27 and the other end is adhesively bonded to the plate 25. The plate 25 is securely anchored by suitable anchoring means (not shown) and plates 21 and 22 are free to make limited movement in any direction relative to the plate 25. The plates 21 and 22 have a normal position at rest wherein the pillars 26 are preferably unstressed apart from the weight of the plates 21 and 22.

The electric motor 23 has a driving shaft 28 extending therefrom on both sides with two weights 29 and 30 connected at either end thereof. The weights 29 and 30 are moveably fastened to the shaft 28 by means of screws 31 and 32 respectively which permit the weights 29 and 30 to be rotated to ,various orientations about the shaft 28 to produce the desired jogger action. The principle by which the jogger means 20 operates is in general similar to that set out in US. Pat. No. 3,240,492, issued on March 15, 1966 to the invention, W. C. l-loff. The jogging movement of the horizontal plate 21 aligns the bottom edges of the individual sheets and also assists in the side edge alignment of the sheets while the sheets are being 7 ,moved to the stapling station 17.

The electric motor 23 is driven separately from the rest of the electrical circuit and the speed of the motor 23 is con trolled by rhcostut or the like 33. in FIG. 3. The motor 23 is runcontinuously and is not affected by the stopping and start in a direction from the loading station 16 to the stapling station 17 and on past the stacking apparatus 11. The belt 35 \passesaround a pair of suitable pulleys 36 and 37, preferably positioned at the end of the first guide wall 14 and runs in a channel 38 in the first guide wall 14. An electric instant stopgo motor 39 having an output shaft 40 is connected to the pulley 36 to drive thebelt 35. Preferably, the motor 39 should be of a type which can be stopped instantaneously by the closing of a microswitch.

A number of the side edge engaging means 34 extend out- -wardly from the belt 35 at various positions along the belt 35 and almost make contact with the second guide wall 15 in the Provided at the stapling station 17 is a first stop means 42 "which extends across the trough-shaped holder 12 having a free end 43 almost making contact with the first guide wall 14 in a normal position. The stop means 42 is attached at its fixed end to a solenoid 44 which projects and retracts the stop means 42 through the second guide wall 15. Also the stop means 42 is positioned at an acute angle to the second guide wall in the normal position and is swingable to a stop position. A microswitch 45 is mounted adjacent the stop means 42 so that a depressible actuator arm 46 is engaged when the stop means 42 is moved from the normal position to the stop position. The solenoid 44 is slideably attached by releaseable connecting means 47, shownbest in FlG. 2, to a support plate 48 for longitudinal adjustment of the stop means 42 to change the first stapling position if desired.

At the stapling station17 is an electrically actuated stapling apparatus 49 mounted at one side of the holder 12, adjacent the second guide wall 15 which comprises a stapler motor 50 connected to drive a reciprocable staple applying member 51, a cam 52 rotated by the motor 50, and a microswitch 53 with an actuator arm 54 which is engaged by the cam 52 when the stapler motor 50 is running. A conventional staple magazine 55 is associated with the stapler apparatus 49 and in the staple magazine 55 is a cutoff switch 56, shown in FIG. 4, which automatically shuts down the apparatus when there are no staples in a spring-pressed staple follower (not shown). The stapler means 49 is of any suitable conventional construction, such as a Stago stapler made by K. Klaus K.G., Goppingen, West Germany, which may be manually or electrically actuated. The staple applying member 51 is positioned to deliver a staple through a transverse opening 57 in the second guide wall 15 into a set of sheets 13 in the stapling station 17.

The microswitch 45 is electrically connected to the motor 39, solenoid 44, and the stapler motor 50 so that when the actuator arm 46 of the microswitch 45 is engaged by the stop means 42, solenoid 44 and the stapler motor 50 are energized and the supply of current to the motor 39 is interrupted. The microswitch 53 is also electrically connected to the motor 39, the solenoid 44, and the stapler motor 50 so that when the cam 52 engages the actuator arm 54 of the microswitch 53 the stapler motor 50 and the solenoid 44 will be energized for the stapler cycle while the motor 39 will be stopped for that period of time. The stop means 42 is mounted so that when the stop means 42 is retracted by the energized solenoid 44 the stop means 42 will swing back to a retracted normal position.

A pair of longitudinal slots 58 and 59 are provided in the second guide wall 15 adjacent the stapling station 17. A bottom wall 60 of the trough-shaped holder 12 extends from the stapling station 17 to the stacking apparatus 11.

in a second stapling-position, a similar apparatus as in the first stapling position is set up with a second stop means 61 having a free end 62 which is projectable and retractable by solenoid 63 through the longitudinal slot 59 in the second guide wall 15. A microswitch 64 is mounted adjacent the second stop means 61 and has a depressible actuator arm 65 which the second stop means 61 makes contact with in the stop position. The solenoid 63 is slideably attached by releaseable connecting means 66 to the support plate 48 for any desired longitudinal adjustment to change the second stapling position when the length of the sheets are changed. The second microswitch 64 is electrically connected to the motor 39, the solenoids 44 and 63, and the stapler motor 50. When a second staple is applied to the set of sheets 13 then the set of sheets 13 are moved on to discharge end 67 of the holder 12 to the stacking apparatus 11.

Provided with the stacking apparatus 11 is a receiving station 68 which comprises a pair of downwardly angled belts 69 and 70 with a side plate 71 attached thereto by support means 72 and 73. The side plate 71 has an extension arm 74 attached to one end thereof and is positioned perpendicular to the plate 71 to prevent the pads from falling out the free end of the stacking apparatus 11. A microswitch 75 is positioned adjacent the first guide wall 14 with a depressible actuator arm 76 extending out of the longitudinal slots 77 in the first guide wall which is depressed by the leading edge of the pad of sheets 13 coming into the stacking apparatus 11 and interrupts the electrical current to the stapling and stacking apparatus. To energize the stapling and stacking apparatus again a push button type off-on switch 78 which is located in the upper edge 18 of the first guide wall 14 must be pressed. The microswitch 75 is also electrically connected to offset stacking solenoid 79 and a transverse moving plate solenoid 80 in the stacking apparatus 11. The. offset stacking solenoid 79 has connected to an extension arm 81 of its armature a reciprocable L-shaped member 82 which is projectable and retractable for offset stacking of the pads. The solenoid 80 is connected by an extension arm 83 to a rectangular plate 84 in the first guide wall 14 near the bottom wall 60. When the solenoid 80 is energized the plate 84 is projected and engages the bottom of the pad of sheets 13 moving the pad off the bottom wall 60 and over to the side plate 71 for stacking the pads in neat rows.

In FIG. 3 is showna schematic plan view ofthc stapling and stacking apparatus with the electrical equipment used therewith. The electrical equipmentis controlled from a main control box 85 having a main power off-on switch 86 to give a current supply to the electrical equipment, a counter 87 to identify the number of pads that have been stapled and stacked, four off-0n switches for various parts of the electrical equipment as will be described later, and the jogger motor rheostat 33 to control the speed of vibration of the jogger means 20. I

As shown in the wiring diagram of HO. 4, the electrical circuit is connected to a suitable source of current supply as at 83 with the suitable master switch 89 and a fuse 90 connected therein. The manual off-on switch 78 when closed delivers current to a main belt drive relay 91. The current in the belt drive relay 91 will flow through a belt drive relay coil 94 which operates a single pole double switch 95 that connects in a bypass line 96 which bypasses the cycle cut off microswitch 75. An off-on switch 910 in the main control box 85 must be closed to operate the belt drive relay 91. Lines 92 and 93 are attached from the associated equipment to automatically begin the cycle of the staple apparatus and the off set stacking ofthe pads in the stacking apparatus 11.

The normally closed microswitch 75 when open delivers electrical current to the counter 87, the stacker solenoid 79. and the transverse plate solenoid 80. An off-on switch 97 in the main control box-85 permits interruption of the current flow to the stacking solenoid 79 when desired.

When the belt drive relay 91 is closed current passes on a line 98 to one side of the belt drive motor 39. The normally closed microswitches 45 and 64 connected in series between the other side of the belt drive motor 39 and one side of the stapler motor 50. A first stapling off-on switch 99 and a second stapling off-on switch 100 in the main control box 85 when switched on as shown in FIG. 4 deliver a current along a line 101 to a stapler relay 102 when either of the microswitches 45 or 64 are closed. ln the stapler relay 162 the current'passes through a stapler relay coil 103 which closes a single pole double switch 104. The other side of the stapler motor 50 is connected into the electrical circuit by the closing of the single pole double switch 104 by a line 105. The motor 50 is energized and a cam 52 is rotated sufficiently to activate the normally open microswitch 53. The current flow to the belt drive motor 39 is interrupted and the belt drive motor stops.

When the normally open microswitch 53 is closed a current is delivered to the solenoids 44 and 63 which retract their respective stop means 42 and 61 during the stapling cycle. The retraction of. the stop means 412 or 61 permit the microswitches 45 or 64 to return to their normally closed position As long as the normally open microswitch S3 is activated the stapler motor 50 will be energized and the current flow to the belt drive motor 39 will be interrupted. ln the line 105 is the normally closed cutoff switch 56 of the staple magazine 55. The switch 56 is opened when there are no staples in the staple magazine 55 then the current flow to the stapler motor 50 is interrupted.

There are four possible conditions under which the operator may desire to use the stapling and stacking apparatus, first to have a staple applied only in the first stapling position; second,

to have a staple applied only in the second stapling position; third, to have a staple applied in the first and second stapling position; and fourth, to edge align the sheets and have them stacked without stapling. The operation which will be described is where a staple is applied in the first and second stapling positions. b

When the apparatus is to be usedmanually, the push button 78 is turned on and the belt drive motor 39 drives the belt 35 and a side engaging means 34 in the direction of the arrow 41. The jogger motor 23 is energized causing the plate 21 to jog. The stapler apparatus 49 is at rest and the stapling motor 50 is not energized. The stop means 42 and 61 are in the normal position and are positioned the'proper distance apart from one another to apply the staple in the bottomof a pad where desired. The stacking apparatus 11 isin the normal position with the side plates 71 adjacent the bottom wall 60.

In operation, a set of juxtaposed individual sheets are inserted, manually or automatically, through the open top of the holder 12 into the loading station 16 so that the bottom edges of the set of sheets 13 come in contact with the horizontal plate 21 of the jogger means 20. The motor 23of the jogger means is switched on prior to the sheets being loaded in the loading station 16 and the speed of the motor 23 is controlled by the rheostat 33. The weights 29 and 30 on the shaft will cause the motor 23 to adopt an eccentric orbit which is communicated to the plate 21 which moves about in the same eccentric orbit. In this way the set of sheets resting on the plate 21 are rapidly vibrated and the bottom edges of the sheets will become aligned and the vibration will assist the sheets to be more easily side edge aligned. When the manual switch 78 is switched on the current will flow to the main belt drive relay 91 and to the belt drive motor 39 energizing the motor 39.

If the stapling and stacking apparatus is to be used with some associated equipment then the stapling and stacking apparatus can be operated automatically. The offon switch 91a is off and electrical impulses are received on lines 92 and 93 from the associated equipment such as a collating device (not shown) as described in Canadian Pat. No. 709,285 entitled Collating Device, issued on May 11, 1965 to the inventor, W. C. Hoff, to operate the stapling and stacking apparatus selectively or together. The line 92 brings an impulse from an offset stacker of thecollating device (not shown) to begin the off-set stacking of the pads in the stacking apparatus and the line 93 brings an impulse from the foot switch of the collating device (not shown) to beginthe cycle of the stapling apparatus 10. The currentin the belt drive relay coil '94 operates the single pole double switch 95 that connects in the bypass line 96 which bypasses the cycle cutoff microswitch 75 and the off-on switch 91a. Current then flows along the bypass line 96 through the switch 95 and down the line 98 to the belt drive motor 39. The belt drive motor 39 drives the belt and the side edge engaging means 34 in the direction shown by the arrow 41. The side edge engaging means 34 engages the closest side edge of the sheets 13 and moves the jogged sheets longitudinally throughthe holder 12 to the stapler station 17.

The leading edge of the sheets 13 contacts the first "stop means 42 in the normal position and moves the first stop means 42 to the stop position where the normally open microswitch 45 is closed interrupting thecurrent to the belt drive motor 39 and the belt 35 stops moving. The set of sheets 13 are positioned between the first stop arm 42 and the side edge engaging means -34aligning the side edgesof the sheets 13. The first stapling off-on switch99 on the main control box 85 is switched on so that when the microswitch 45 is closed the stapler motor is energized and starts rotating the cam 52. Thenormally open stapler microswitch 53 is closed by the surface of the rotating cam 52 engaging the actuator arm 54 and current flows to the solenoids 44 and 63 retracting their' respective stop means-42 and 61 and-current flows to the stapler motor 50 until the arm 54 of the microswitch 53 is free of the cam 52.

With the stapler motor 50 energized the staple applying member 51 is operated and applies a staple to the bottom edge portion of the sheets 13' at the first stapling position. Once the stapling cycle is completedthe microswitch 53returns to its normally open position and the current flow to the solenoids 44 and 63 and the stapler motor 50 is interrupted and the belt drive motor 39 is again energized starting the belt 35 moving again. The bottom edge of the sheets 13 is on the bottom wall 60 and the side edge engaging means 34 begins to move the sheets 13 to the second stapling position. The free end 43 of the first stop means 42 is projected to its normaltposition and engages the side of a set of sheets 13 forcing the sheets 13 against the first guide wall l4 but the stop means 42 does not interfere with the side edge engaging means 34 moving the set of sheets 13 to the second stapling station.

The leading edge of.the sheets 13 makes contact with the secondstop means 61 moving the second stop means 61 from the normal position to the stop position. The microswitch 64 is closed when the stop means 61 engages the arm 65. The current flow to the belt drive motor 39 is interrupted stopping the side edge engaging means 34 and the stapler motor 50 is energized and rotates the cam 52 to engage the arm 54 of the microswitch 53. The stapler microswitch 53 is closed energizing both solenoids 44 and 63 retracting their respective stop means 42 and 61 and the stapler motor 50 is energized applying a stapler to the set of sheets 13 in the second stapling position. When the stapler cycle is finished, the microswitch 53 returns to its normally open position and current flow to the solenoids 44 and 63 is interrupted and the first and second stop means 42 and 61 respectively are returned to their normal position. The side edge engaging means 34 moves the pad of sheets 13 along the bottom wall 60 and the free end 62 engages the side of the pad of sheets 13 forcing it against the first guide wall 14 but does not interfere with the side edge engaging means 34. The current'flow to the stapler motor 50 is also interrupted. The belt drive motor 39 is again energized and the side edge engaging means 34 movesthe pad of sheets 13 through the discharge end 67 of the holder 12 to the receiving respectively may be longitudinally adjusted for the different sizes of paper which can be used with the stapling apparatus. The releasable connecting means 47 and 64 can be adjusted and moved in their respective slots to the desired position on the support plate 4880 that the stop means 42 and 61 are the required distance apart.

The set of sheets 13 are moved along by the side edge engaging means 34 in the stacking apparatus 11. The bottom edge of a set of sheets 13 moves along the bottom wall 60 until the leading edge of the sheets 13 engages the actuator arm 76 of thenormally open microswitch 75. The microswitch 75 is closed and current flows to the stacking solenoid 79 with the stacking off-on switch 89 on'the main control box 85 switched on. Also the transverse plate solenoid 80 is energized and the plate 84 is moved outward from the first guide wall 14 to engage the bottom ofthe sheets 13. The plate 84 moves the pads off the bottom wall 60 and over to the side plates 71 for stacking the'pads on the side plate 71.

1f the operator desires to have offset stacking of the stapled pads the stacking off-on switch 89 on the main control box must be turned on. When the normally open microswitch 75 is closed current flows through the stacking solenoid 79 and the reciprocable L-shaped member 82 is projected towards the receiving end 59 of the stacking apparatus 11 to engage 'the leading edge of thepad of sheets 13 a specific distance from the leading edge of the previous pad of sheets 13. The 1..- shaped member 82 and the plate 84 have spring means connccted thereto to return them totheir normal position when the current flow to their associated solenoids 79 and 80 respectively are interrupted.

The belts 69 and 70 supported on proper support means (not shown) of the stacking apparatus 11 are connected to an 70 is also moved away from the first guide wall 14 as the pads of sheets 13 are stacked thereagainst.

When it is desired to have a staple applied to the pad of sheets in the first stapling position, the first stapling off-on switch 99 on the main control box 85 is switched on and the second stapling off-on switch 100 is switched off. This interrupts the current flow to the stapler motor 50 when the leading edge of the sheets 13 engages the second stop means 61 and no staple is applied by the staple applying member 51 in the second stapling position. The remainder of the equipment operates as previously described.

if a staple is to be applied only in the secondstapling position the first stapling off-on switch 99 must be switched off and the second stapling off-on switch 100 must be switched on. The current flow to the staple motor 50 is interrupted when the leading edge of the sheets 13 engages the first stop means 42. No staple is applied by the staple applying member 51 to the set of sheets 13 at the first stapling position. A staple is applied to the set of sheets 13 in a second stapling position. The remainder of the equipment operates as previously described.

When the set of sheets 13 are to be edge aligned only and stacked without stapling both switches 99 and 100 will be switched off so that the staple motor 50 will not be energized at either the first or second stapling position. The remainder of the equipment operates as previously described.

The holder 12 could be considered to have a level floor which is the horizontal plate 21 of the jogger means 20. Also the endless belt means 35 could be replaced by any type of conveyor means which would be suitable to travel between the loading and stapling station above the floor of the holder 12. The side edge engaging means 34 attached to the conveyor means must always be positioned so as not to interfere with either first or second step means 42 and 61 respectively, when the stop means are in the normal positions and the side edge engaging means 34 passes through the loading station and stapling station.

It should he noted, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. that the apparatus at the first stapling station and the second stapling station could alternatively be positioned behind the first guide wall 14 with the stop means 42 and 51 extending through the first guide wall 14. The action of the stop means 42 and 51 would be exactly the same moving between the nor mal and stop positions. Also, the stapling apparatus 49 has not been described as fully as possible as it is available commercially and any type of stapling apparatus can be purchased which is suitable to the operator.

The foregoing is a description ofa preferred embodiment of the invention which is here made by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to the specific structure described but comprehends all such variations as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. in an apparatus for stapling bundles of sheets into pads, a

combination:

a holder comprising first and second horizontally spaced apart upright guide walls opened at their upper ends to receive a bundle of sheets in substantially vertical position thcrchctwccn. and having a level floor, said holder extending between a loading station and n stapling stunon; v

conveyor means located in said holder above said floor adapted to travel between said loading and stapling station;

means for driving said conveyor means; i

jogger means provided at the bottom oi said holder for supporting the bottom edges of said bundle on said floor adjacent said loading station and forming a portion of said bundle of sheets in substantial bottom edge alignment; and

a sheet side edge engaging means extending from said conveyor means adapted to engage side edges of said bundle of sheets at said loading station and operable to deliver said bundle to said stapling station in substantial side edge alignment.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means responsive to said bundle of sheets being at said stapling station to instantly stop said conveyor drive means.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

a first stop means disposed adjacent a first stapling position with said stop means normally positioned across the path of travel of said bundle of sheets;

first stop actuator means disposed adjacent said first stop means and activated by the leading edges of said bundle of sheets making contact with said first stop means for instantly stopping said conveyor drive means and said side edge engaging means while withdrawing said first stop means from across the path of travel of said bundle of sheets; i

an electrically actuated stapler means at said stapling station having a reciprocal staple applying member for stapling said aligned sheets at said first stapling position; and

means responsive to said presence of said sheets in said stapling station for actuating said stapler means for a complete cycle.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

an electrically actuated stapler means having a reciprocal staple applying member for stapling said aligned sheets at said stapling station;

means responsive to said presence of said sheets in said stapling station for actuating said stapler means for a complete cycle; and

means responsive to said actuated stapler means completing the full cycle for operating said conveyor means, and said edge engaging means discharging said stapled bundle from said holder.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

a second stop means disposed adjacent a second stapling position with said second stop means normally positioned across the path oftravel of said bundle of sheets;

second stop actuator means disposed adjacent said second stop means and activated by the leading edges oi said bundle of sheets making contact with said second stop means for instantly stopping the operation of said conveyor means and a said side edge engaging means while withdrawing said second stop means from across the path of said bundle of sheets;

an electrically actuated stapler means having a reciprocal staple applying member for stapling said aligned sheets at said second stapling station;

means responsive to said presence of said sheets in said stapling station for actuating said stapler means for a complete cycle; and

means responsive to said actuated stapler means completing the full cycle for operating said conveyor means, and said edgeengaging means discharging said stapled bundle from said holder.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim ll, including:

a first stop means disposed adjacent a first stapling position with said first stapling position with said first stop means normally positioned across the path of travel of said hundie of sheets;

first stop actuator means disposed adjacent said first stop means and activated by the leading edge of said bundle of sheets making contact with said first stop means for instantly stopping said side edge engaging means while withdrawing said first stop means from across the path of travel of said bundle ot'shects;

means responsive to said first actuator means being actuated for operating said conveyor means to move said bundle of sheets to a second stapling position;

second stop means disposed adjacent said second stapling position with said second stop means normally positioned across the path of travel of said bundle of sheets;

second stop actuator means disposed adjacent said second stop means and activated by the leading edges of said bundle of sheets making contact with said second stop means for instantly stopping the operation of said conveyor means and said side edge engaging means while withdrawing said second stop means from across the path of travel of said bundle of sheets; and

means responsive to said second actuator means being actuated for operating said conveyor means to discharge said bundle of sheets from said holder substantially aligned.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

an electrically actuated stapler means having a reciprocal staple applying member for stapling said aligned sheets at said stapling station;

means responsive to said presenceof said sheets in said stapling station for actuating said stapler means for a complete cycle;

' means responsive to said actuated stapler means completing the full cycle for operating said conveyor means, and said edge engaging means discharging said stapled bundle from said holder; and

a stacking apparatus adapted to receive said stapled bundle discharged from said holder.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said conveyor means comprises an endless belt located intermediate of the top and bottom of said first or second side walls; and

said side edge engaging means comprise fingers extending from said endless belt almost to the adjacentguide wall and positioned on said endless belt at least the length of a sheet apart.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said jogger means comprises a horizontal plate at the bottom of said holder for supporting the bottom edges of said bundle of sheets; and

means for jogging said plate and said bundle of sheets. 

